Bridge support



June 17 1924. 1,497,998

7 G. L. A. TARLE v BRIDGE SUPPORT Filed March 15. 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 17 1924. 1,497,998

G. 1.. A. TARLE BRIDGE SUPPORT Filed March 15. 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 17, 19.24.

UNITED STATES GUSTAVE LOUIS ANGE TABLE, OF MELIE'EOU SALON, FRANCE.

BRIDGE SUPPORT.

Application filed March 15, 1920. Serial lie/365,980.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GUSTAVE LOUIS Arms Tamas, a citizen of the French Republic, residing at Menetou Salon, Cher, in the Republic of France, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bridge Supports; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable o hers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to let ters or figures of reference markedthereon, which form a part of this specification.

In the bodies of stringed instruments, usually the bridge rests with its whole length, or on two feet, on the belly of the instrument which supports it, giving rise to many inconveniences. The wider tne belly of the instrument, the better the low notes are reinforced.

In the violin, where the belly is divided into two parts by an axial neutral zone, stationary or nearly so, the neutral zone being due to the fact that the movements are re versed from one side of the-belly to the other, the belly loses its aptitude-to reinforce the low notes since its effective vibration is really only equal to half the width of the bell 7 To obtain the best possible tone from a violinfor example, the belly should be without a neutral zone, and it should vibrate awhole and not inversely in halves.

Further to obtain maximum compression and expansion of the air within the case, the arrangement should be such that the Whole belly is raised in vibrating, the back should be pressed outwardly, and when the belly is depressed in vibration, the back should be pressed inwardly. belly and back of a violin are connected by a sound post, but since the neutral Zone is present in the belly, the maximum effects of compression and expansion of the air witlr in the case are not obtained since the belly vibrates inversely i'n halves as before men,

tioned. Further the belly is strained under the weight and tension of the strings. In the sound post construction, the displacements of the backand the corresponding half of the body of a violin, or 01 the whole of the belly in the case of a mandolin, are parallel.

The air in the body does not undergo any compression or expansion in a mandolin,

Usually the (this fact explains the inaction of the sound post in this instrument).

To'cnable the invention to be fully understood will now be described by reference to the accompanying drawings in which .Figures 1, 2 and 3 show in longitudinal section, cross section and plan with the belly removed, respectively, a violin provided with a control system according to the prior invention before mentioned.

.Figures 4 and 5 show in cross section and longitudinal section respectively on the line XX Fig. 5 and. the line YY Fig. at the system of controlling the vibration of thebelly and the back according to the present invention.

Figure 6 is a view of the underside of the rocking: counter-ln'idge. I

'Fi 'ures 7 and 8 show incross section and long udinal section respectively on the line XX of Fig. 8 and on the line YY of Fig. 7 a'moditied method or control.

The earlier method of the applicant comprised a bar a-or other undetormableii'ame arranged axially and longitudinally and secured in the blocks Z) by gluing or mortising and preferably being in the form of a body of uniform resistance and not entering into Contact with the back 7 nor with the belly 2' of the violin. On this bar the applicant has attached under the belly, just below the bridge 0, a counter-bridge (Z of shittable shape such as is shown in Fig. 2 having two feet so as to support the belly at two points immediately under the feet of the bridge.

The method according to the present invention consists in principle of combining the arrangement of the applicants prior invention with the bridge employed in an ancient stringed instrument called a crouth. To this end, the belly i has a hole 6, Figs. l and 5, at the point where one of the feet of the counter-bridge (Z makes direct contact with the foot or" the bridge through the hole, this latter being sufiiciently large to avoid all contact with the belly. Further, the sound post 7' may be placed without inconveni nce in a small socket Fi 6. hol

lowed out in the under surface of the counter-bridge d, directly under the said foot of the bridge and the foot of the sound post is held in a small socket h, of annular shape, secured by glue to the back 7'. The bar a, at the point where it supports the counterbridge, is provided with an opening in which is fitted with a blunt knife edge [of a hard substance, ebony, ivory or the like, on which the counter-bridge rocks, said counterbridge having agroove m on its underside as shown in the drawing.

The bridge is thus supported by the interl position of the counter-bridge which oper- -movement.

ates as a pivot or axis and permits the bridge to vibrate in a precise rocking Only one of the feet of the bridge touches the belly, the other controls the bottom through the sound post. Necessarily, the movements of the belly and the bottom are always inverse instead of being parallel. Further, the belly has no stationary neutral line, andwill act like the bottom in thisrespect. The low tones will be improved and smaller instruments than usual ma be made. I

,The pivot or axis of oscillation maybe arranged directly under the bridge. vTo

thisend the'belly/Z 7 and 8) .liasja supplementary hole 0 1n the axis of the bridgeand in this case the bracket, or bar a carries a pivot 79 passing through this hole without touching the belly and supporting the bridge it directly, which by reason of the small contact surface m y be faced-with a small plate g of hard material. By means of this invention, which also relieves the belly, the sound bar may be reduced or done away with and the belly .made thinner and more flexible.

Finally, the invention permits, after having obtained a bridge which vibrates continually and strongly by a "free rocking movement about a pivot or an axis of support,- of utilizing the movement once produced so that one of the feet ofthe brid'ge raisesthe belly whilst the other through the sound post presses down the bottomand vice-versaythus the air in the body is al ternately compressed and expanded tothe maximum degree, which gives the maximum brllllance; The great cause of irregularity of vibrations of the body is suppressed, the regularity of the vibratibi s of 1 seaee as a ins am a in combination, a belly, a back, sides connecting the belly ';and the back, a bridge having two feet, one foot mounted on the' belly, the other foot passing through a hole in said belly without touching same, a counter-bridge arranged beneath said bridge and on the reverse side of the belly, one portion of said counter-bridge engaging-the belly, another portion of said counter-bridge supporting the foot of the firstnamed bridge which passes through thehole in the belly, and means for pivotally supporting the counter-bridge independent of the belly and back. 7

2. In a stringed musical instrument and in combination, .a belly, a back, sides connecting the belly and the back, a bridge having two feet, one foot mounted on the belly, the other foot passing through a hole in said belly without touching same, .a counter-bridge arranged beneath said bridge and on thereverseside of the belly, one portion of said counter-bridge engaging the belly, another portion of said chunter-bridge supporting the foot of the firstnamed bridge which passes through the hole in the belly, a bar secured longitudinally of the instrument supported ateach end by the sides, apivot on said'bar, a recess in the counter-bridge for receiving said pivot and means for transmitting the vibration of the bridge to the back.

3. In a stringed musical instrument and in combination, a belly, a back, sidescon-V in said belly without' touching same, 'a

counter-bridge arranged. beneath said bridge, and'on the reverse side of the belly,

one portion engaging the belly, another portion of said counter-bridge supporting,

the footof the first-named bridge which passes through thehole in the belly, albarr secured longitudinally of the instrument supported at each end by the sides, a pivot on said bar, a recess in the counter-b-r-idge for receiving said pivot, and a sound post secured to the countersbridge and to the back of the instrument. y.

4. In a stringed musical instrument .hav ing a bellyand a back, a bridge supported at one end on the belly, a support beneath the belly engaging the undersideof the belly and also engagingthe other end of said bridge and meansto transmit the pressure of said other end of the bridge to the back. L: In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, Ihave signed my name.

GUSTAVE LOUIS ANGE TABLE. 

